Self-inflating tire for bicycles.



No. 686,319. Patented Nov. I2, |90I. C. G. MORGAN.

SELF INFLATING TIRE FOR BICYCLES.

(Application filed Aug. 20, 19.00.) (No Model.) Y I F|, F|c..`2

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NITED STATES PATENT OEEICEI CHARLES GEORGE MORGAN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SELF-INFLATING `TIRE FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 686,319, dated November 12, 1901. Application filed August 20l 1900. Serial No. 27,450. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GEORGE MOE- GAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at No. 13 King William street, in the city of London En gland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Self- Infiating Tires for Bicycles and other. Vehicles, of which the following is a specication.

My inventionrelates to improvements in self-inflating tires of the kind forming the subject-matter of the patent granted to J. F. Everett and A. Kirkman, dated December 5, 1899, and numbered 638,628. Y 7 y Now according to my present invention I make the following improvements: Instead of the outer band .being continuous, so that it must either bend orslide longitudinally as it acts on the pumping-tube, or must act partly in one Way and partly in another, thus causing considerable Wear on thepair-tube and in some cases on the pumping-tube, I make the outer band of a number of short'segments, preferably covered with fabric and inclosed and securely fixed in a continuous pocket of canvas or other suitable material, with a small space between each of the segments, so that While remaining stiff transversely the band will freely contract and expand circumferentially at numerous points, and therefore it can act 'upon the pumping-tube without iiexion of its material or practically any sliding movement, or I may make the outer band elastic longitudinally, While retaining its stilfness transversely in any other convenient manner, as by `making, it, for instance, of`

thin metal, Celluloid, or otherk material corrugated transversely or of a plain band notched alternately on each side at short intervals nearly across its breadthor of crimped Wire or otherwise. When made with corrugations or crimped, a further advantage is obtained, inasmuch as a better joint is made between the sides of the pumping-tube at the place Where the tire is in contact with the 'ground and especially When the Wheel is traveling over rough ground, or the inner band may be crimped or corrugated or provided with projections and the outer band may be made merely extensible. The air-tube, which is made inextensible in such manner as not to throttle the pumping-tube more than is necessary except at the place of contact With the ground, tends to increase circumferentially as it is inflated rather than to decrease. 'Ihe air-tube is either endless or butt-ended and is in itself extensible, but is suitably made inextensible by inclosing it in an inextensible pOcket, so that when the air-tube is inflated it and its pocket assume a more or less D- Shaped section. VThe detachable pocket is further connected to the inner band by means 0f av strip of fabric lapped around and solutioned, and I provide means of access to the air-tube in any convenient or well-known manner-for instance, in the case of a tire without a detachable outer cover by means of a slit in the side of the lappingfabric and of the said inextensible pocket, which slit is closed by lacing. To prevent as much as possible any lateral movement of the pumping-tube, and consequently the rolling of the tire, the said pumping-tube is provided With liaps solutioned to the pumping-tube and around the inner band.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a cross-section of a tire made according to myA invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of part of same shown straight instead of curved to follow the contour of the Wheel. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a tire with a modied form of outer band, and Fig; 4 is alongitudinal section olpart of same. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionof a tire with a modified form of inner band. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of part of same, and Fig. 7 is a similar View of another slightly-modified form. Figs. 8 and 9 represent in plan other constructions of an extensible or elastic outer band; and Fig. 10 is an elevation of a portion of the tire to a reduced scale, showing the inlet to the pumping-tube and the connection from the air-tube to the pumping-tube.,

The outer band g, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 7, is made of a number of short segments a little distance apart and covered with fabric g', the Whole being solutioned or stuck together. This outer band g is securely fixed for example, by solution in a continuous pocket n of `canvas--in such manner as toallow the band to expand and contract circumferentially at numerous points, thus permitting of its action outhe pumping-tubef without {iexion of its material or practically any sliding movement, or I may make the outer IOO band g elastic longitudinally, While retaining its stiffness transversely in any other convenient manner, as by making it, for instance, of thin metal, celluloid, or other material corrugated transversely,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or of a plain band notched alternately on each side at short intervals nearly across its breadth, as shown in Fig. 8, or, as shown in Fig. 9, of crimped wire or otherwise as found most convenient. When the outer band g is made with corrugations or provided with projections or is crimped, a further advantage is attained, inasmuch as a better joint is made between the inner sides of the pumping-tube fat the place Where the tire is in contact with theground; or the inner band e, which is suitably covered with fabric or canvas 7c,.may be corrugated, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or be provided with projections, as shown in Fig. 7, andthe outer band g may be made merely eX- tensible or both the bandseand g may be corrugated or be provided with projections, as indicated, for example, in Figs. 5a'nd 6. The airtube h is suitably made inextensible by inclosing it in the inextensible D-shaped pocket n, which also incloses the outer band g, as aforesaid. To prevent as much as possible any lateral movement of the pumping-tube f, and consequently the rolling of the tire, the said pumping-tube is provided with flaps or astrip of fabric 0c, solutioned to the pumping-tube and around the inner band e, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 3,-and 5. Finally, the inner band e is further connected or stuck to the pocket ln by means of a strip of fabric o, surrounding the inner band and the pocket more or less, and the whole tire is provided with a thickened treadp of rubber or the like.

As indicated in Fig. l0, air is admitted at q to the pumping-tube, said air being forced around the pumping-tube as the wheel revolves past a back-pressure valve r and by way of a pipe z5 to the air-tube.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A self-iniating tire, comprising an airtube, a pu mping-tube surrounding the rim of the wheel, means for admitting air to said pumping-tube and forcing such air to the airtube, and a band composed of contractible and expansible elements and arranged between the said pumping and air tubes, substantially as set forth.

2. A self-inflating tire, comprising an airtube, a pumping-tube surrounding the rim of the wheel, means for admitting air to said pumping-tube and forcing such air to the airtube, a band composed of contractible and expansible elements and arranged between the said pumping and air tubes and means for producing a wave-like formation in the said pumping-tube whereby the making of an air-joint within the said pu mping-tube, above the point where the tire is in contact with the ground, is facilitated, substantially as set forth.

3. A self-infiating tire, comprising an airtube, a pumping-tube surrounding the rim of the wheel, means for admitting air to said pumping-tube and forcing such air to the airtube, a band composed of expansible and contractible elements and arranged between the said pumping and air tubes, means for producing a wave-like formation in the said pumping-tube whereby the making of an airjoint within the said pumping-tube above the point where the tire is in contact with the ground, is facilitated, a band surrounding the rim of the wheel between the latter and the said pumping -tube, and stays connecting such band with the said pumping-tube,where by the tire is prevented from rolling, substantially as set forth.

4. A self-inflating tire, comprising an in- ,extensible air-tube, an ineXtensible pumpingtube provided at one end with an air-inlet and at the other end with an air-passage to the said air-tube, a check-valve in said passage, an outer band arranged between the said pumping-tube and the said air-tube and composed of a number of segments secured at intervals in a canvas pocket, an inner band surrounding the rim of the Wheel between the latter and the pumping-tube and stays connecting such band with the said pumpingtube, substantially as set forth.

5. A self-inflating tire comprising an airtube, a pumping-tube surrounding the rim of the wheel, means for admitting air to said pumping-tube and forcing such air to the airtube, and a band composed of interspaced segments arranged between the pumping and air tubes, for the purpose set forth.

6. A self-infiating tire comprising an airtube, a pumping-tube surrounding the rim of the wheel, means for admitting air to said pumping-tube and forcing such air to the airtube, a band composed of contractible and expansible elements, arranged between said air and pumping tubes, and an inner band surrounding the rim of the Wheel between the latter and the pumping-tube and provided with transverse ridges at suitable distances apart, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A self-iniiating tire, comprising an inextensible air-tube, an inextensible pumpingtube provided at one end with an air-inlet and at the other end with an air-passage to the said air-tube, a check-valve in said passage, an outer band arranged between the said pumping-tube and the said air-tube and composed of a number of segments secured at intervals in a canvas pocket, an inner band surrounding the rim of the wheel between the latter and the pumping-tube and provided with transverse ridges at suitable distances apart, and stays connecting such band with the said pumping-tube, substantially as set forth.

8. A self-iniiating tire, consisting of an inextensible air-tube, an inextensible pumpingtube provided at one end with an air-inlet having a dust-cap, and at the other end with IOO IIO

1o tube, the whole being secured together and provided with a thickened tread, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speoiieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l CHARLES GEORGE MORGAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. B. FRANKLiN, WALTER J. SKERTEN. 

